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"This lesson" vs. "Our lesson": Pragmalinguistic strategies towards learners' engagement in vulnerable elementary classrooms in Santiago de Chile

  • Alcina Pereira de Sousa

    Alcina Pereira de Sousa is tenured Assistant Professor of English Linguistics in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Madeira, where she has taught since 1993. She is a research member at ULICES (FCT), and Poetics, Linguistics Association Ambassador in Portugal, ENIEDA Network founding member and member of its Advisory Board (2010 -). She is also member of editorial and scientific boards of several academic journals and annual international scientific meetings. Her recent publications include book chapters, two co-edited volumes, as well as many peer-reviewed papers (ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0019-491X).

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    and Anna Ivanova

    Anna Ivanova is Assistant Professor of English Language and Linguistics at the Institute for Education Studies, University of O'Higgins (Chile), where she is also the Head of English Pedagogy Program. Her research interests lie in the field of media studies. Right now dr. Ivanova is a principal researcher of the project on media framing of immigration in the Chilean written press and its impact on public opinion, supported by the national grant from the Chilean Ministry of Science and Technology.

Published/Copyright: January 19, 2020

Abstract

This paper is a research study of an interdisciplinary and exploratory kind drawing on a case study undertaken in elementary classrooms in socio-economically disadvantaged areas of Santiago de Chile. Having combined Linguistics for Education Studies and Corpus Linguistics approaches, the analysis of pragmalinguistic choices (i.e. personal pronouns, other lexical choices marking in-group relations) used in the introductory parts in a corpus of 50 lessons recorded in an elementary school setting there comes to be a key strategy for teachers' and learners' involvement in classroom interaction The pragmalinguistic strategies evidenced in teachers' and learners' output have come to confirm the role of communicative strategies to promote participants' engagement in the teaching/learning process. In other words, teachers create an in-group relation, a solid sense of belonging and empathy among the participants in the teaching-learning context from the opening communicative stances in use to overcome less advantaged home and community cultural settings. The research findings also point to further studies to devise pedagogic tools addressing the specific contexts under scrutiny. Thus, a Teacher-Learner rapport is conveyed primarily through teachers' language choice, which is seen as the main force for learners' engagement in disadvantaged settings.


1 Funded by "DPI 70-16 The use of language to promote students' participation in class" and "DPI 29/2014 Identification of teaching mediation patterns related to the progress in reading achievements, and personal-social adjustments of students with sociocultural disadvantages", granted by Universidad Autónoma de Chile.

2 We would like to thank the academics and participants in the 3rd ENIEDA March Ad Hoc Series 2018 held at the University of Madeira for their valuable feedback on this research study (cf. educast/FCCN (ID. 4247 https://educast.fccn.pt/vod/clips/2fluduqfnq/link_box?locale=pt).


About the authors

Alcina Pereira de Sousa

Alcina Pereira de Sousa is tenured Assistant Professor of English Linguistics in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Madeira, where she has taught since 1993. She is a research member at ULICES (FCT), and Poetics, Linguistics Association Ambassador in Portugal, ENIEDA Network founding member and member of its Advisory Board (2010 -). She is also member of editorial and scientific boards of several academic journals and annual international scientific meetings. Her recent publications include book chapters, two co-edited volumes, as well as many peer-reviewed papers (ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0019-491X).

Anna Ivanova

Anna Ivanova is Assistant Professor of English Language and Linguistics at the Institute for Education Studies, University of O'Higgins (Chile), where she is also the Head of English Pedagogy Program. Her research interests lie in the field of media studies. Right now dr. Ivanova is a principal researcher of the project on media framing of immigration in the Chilean written press and its impact on public opinion, supported by the national grant from the Chilean Ministry of Science and Technology.

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Appendix

Appendix 1

Number of words in the introductory part per Lesson (N= 50).

Lecture ClassTotal words per LessonTotal words per Introduction Part
LA19276288
LA28956646
LA39598350
LA49704827
LA54278309
LA65006229
LA7667725
LA87042370
LA95398252
LA10849554
LA116197129
LA126527368
LA13514228
LA144896262
LA154213156
LA16324042
LA172606275
LA188600255
LA196641319
LA205951149
LA21374429
LA225228100
LA23458760
LA247668147
LA255092141
LA264417144
LA27314286
LA28355715
LA295358115
LA30655777
LA31276011
LA322964819
LA336620434
LA345766128
LA354753341
LA36180429
LA373134657
LA38320364
LA398374378
LA407265209
LA41740192
LA42359811
LA433986318
LA44161969
LA45248173
LA462067132
LA472499111
LA48181933
LA492778421
LA502464130
Total:25414810707
Appendix 2

Wordlist: Corpus of 50 Lessons

Published Online: 2020-01-19
Published in Print: 2019-07-26

© 2019 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

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